Masks and Knives
by TrebleTrouble22
Summary: Alfred and Nataliya are opposites. Alfred is happy and the 'hero' all the time, while Nataliya is cold and unfeeling- a freak. As this unlikely friendship begins Alfred and Nataliya find that maybe they are not as different as they thought... Rated M for drug use, self harm, and sexual content. Enjoy :D
1. Chapter 1

Hatred. That was the only word that echoed through her mind now. Today couldn't have gone worse, Ivan had lost his temper with her AGAIN and had ended up smashing a vodka bottle over her head, knocking her out for the remainder of the daylight hours. Nataliya lowered her thin, pale body into the warm water of the bath tub slowly.

She sighed.

"I hate you…" she mumbled closing her violet eyes tightly. "I hate you." She repeated louder as tears began to flow from her eyes.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed dragging her trusty knife across her wrist several times until the water became a light red from her blood.

The girl repeated her mantra of _I hate you_ over and over until the room became slowly darker until all she saw was black. Until all she felt was emptiness, loneliness.

*o*o*o*

_Great. Just fantastic. _Alfred thought to himself as he walked into his dysfunctional home to find his little brother, Matthew, passed out on the sofa with a rolled up dollar in his hand and two lines of crack on the coffee table. He heard yelling from outside, awesome his parents were fighting again.

The teen made his way to the stairs lighting up a cigarette only to be stopped by the drunken voice of his father.

"And where *hic* do you think you're going you little punk ass?" he slurred, grabbing his shoulder.

"Don't touch me." He replied blowing smoke into his father's face, earning a smack to the back of the head.

"Rude ass kid! You *hic* should know better! I'm your father!"

"Then act like it, dick!" Alfred hollered as he climbed the stairs slamming his door behind him.

He plopped down on his bed sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"It's a wonder how I've lasted this long…" he mumbled to himself. His blue eyed gaze turned toward the window to look across to his neighbor's house. What's-her-face? Oh, right Nataliya. He had heard rumors about her home life. Apparently it was brutal-made his life seem easy.

He sighed again putting his cigarette out while lying back on his bed. One day he'd be out of this hell.

*o*o*o*

Morning came all too quickly for Nataliya. She was exhausted and all she wanted was to sleep. But the booming voice of her "brother" made it impossible.

"You stupid bitch! What do you mean there is no vodka?! Tell me you are lying, da?" said man yelled from the kitchen as the frail rose and readied herself for the day- pulling on skinny jeans and an oversized grey hoodie.

"I-I'm sorry!" her sister, Katya, replied. God, that woman really needed to not cry at everything.

The Belarusian descended the stairs quietly, slipping into the kitchen undetected as the verbal abuse on her older sister continued.

"And you," Ivan said, stopping her dead in her tracks "I told you to come to me last night, why didn't you syestra?" the man's cold aura surrounded Nataliya as he approached.

"I was tired…" she answered nonchalantly.

"No excuse!" he boomed striking her across the face "When I want I get, da?"

The girl didn't even as much as flinch at her brothers words or hand. Just stood and bared it. That's all she could do. That's all she _had learned_ to do.

"I have to go to school Ivan…move." She shoved past him grabbing her backpack, slinging it across her shoulder making her way toward the school.

*o*o*o*

The school day had dragged on painfully slow. Not like Alfred wanted to go home but.

It was finally last block and the young man sat himself down in a seat by the window, by where Nataliya normally sat. He gaze out the window leaning on his hand noticing that the sky was beginning to cloud over and it was starting to drizzle.

"Why are you sitting here…" the sudden cold voice of Nataliya brought him back to reality.

"Huh? What?"

"Why are _you_ sitting here, Jones." She hissed, seating herself in her regular seat across from him, loathing his existence.

"I dunno…try something new?" he smirked at the silver haired girl before him. Alfred examined her. Her face was beautiful, flawless. Her eyes a frozen shade of violet. Her skin was like white marble and her hair shone like that of the snow. She was actually quite beautiful…and misunderstood…like him. All anyone ever saw of him was the 'hero' persona he put out. No one could see under his mask of happiness. No one ever saw him crack.

"Something new?" she scoffed burying her face in a book, glancing at him over the top of the pages.

"Yeah!" he replied happily "you seem like a cool person!" he laughed but then fell silent when his brother entered the room and decided to sit next to him.

"Hey, Al" Matthew said wrapping an arm around him "How's it going?"

"Not now Matt…" he warned with edge in his voice, shoving his arm off

"OOOH c'mon, Alfie~" he giggled

"Matt, you're high…get off!" The teen yelled shoving him to the ground, anger in his eyes.

"All you had to do was ask." The younger replied punching him hard in the arm, then walking away.

"You're not who you say you are….are you." Nataliya said after a long silence, setting her book down.

"And what would you know about it? Huh?" Alfred hissed, annoyed.

The girl remained silent but instead pointed toward her brother who was laughing and smiling across the room.

"What about that douche?" he said looking out the window to see the down pour of rain.

"I know a mask when I see one Alfred…because he wears one too." She mumbled in a low voice picking up her book again.

The boys head snapped back to look at Ivan, then at Nataliya. _How? How did she see through me like that? How long has she known?_

Alfred stared at the white haired beauty before him. Examining every feature. Right down to the faint bruises of hands on her thin neck.

It was obvious to him now that things in his life could be much worse…Nataliya was in hell every second of everyday.

He had to help her. He HAD to. But how…how could he save this fragile angel.


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks had passed and Nataliya found herself either thinking about, talking to, or being arounf Alfred almost every minute. She had told him about the real Ivan and Alfred had told her about his chaotic home life. They were becoming friends. And good ones at that.

_Friends. _The word burned in Nataliya's mind. She had never had a real friend before…most people avoided her because she was labeled a freak.

"Hey, Nat!" Alfred called from down the hall, approaching her locker. A small smile graced her lips.

"Hey." She replied closing her locker.

"What are you doing after school?"

"Nothing…?" she said confused

"Wanna come over to my place?" he smiled a genuine smile

"W-what?" she blushed lightly. Over the weeks she had grown to have feelings for this boy… even tho she never thought she would…but they had a deep connection of understanding between them, she guessed that's what made her feel like this.

"Ya heard me" he chuckled nervously, faintly blushing.

The Belarusian glanced down the hall to see her brother approaching with a mad look in his eye, her eyes widened.

"Go…" she whispered

"What?" he asked confused then saw the looming figure down the hall.

"Now…!" she said shoving him away just as Ivan reached her.

"Why are you talking to stupid American, syestra?" he grinned evilly "I won't have to punish you, da?" he continued twirling a piece of her long hair around his fingers.

"Nyet…" she mumbled looking down snatching her hair from his grasp only to have it yanked hard. Nataliya yelped in pain causing an evil chuckle from her brother.

"I will you see you at home then? I have something special planned. Kolkolkolkol."

"Da." She said to Alfred as he returned to her side.

"What?"

"I'll come over…I don't want to go home…" the fragile girl gripped her books hard as a tear rolled down her cheek.

The American noticed immediately and took her into his arms in a tight embrace and nodded.

"I don't want you to either…"

*o*o*o*

The final bell had rung signaling the end of the school day. Alfred jumped from his seat and rushed to meet Nataliya in the courtyard. There he found her leaning against the flag pole,, clutching her books to her chest.

"Hey, you ready?" he said happily. She simply nodded and smiled as they began the short walk to his house.

"I have to warn you about my dad…he…doesn't take kindly to visitors…" Alfred continued rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed then, lit up a cigarette taking a long drag from it.

"Then why am I coming over-"

"Cause I don't give a fuck." They both laughed as the duo approached his house.

"Just…wait here." The teen then made his way into his house leaving Nataliya on the front porch where she could hear screaming and objects being thrown and eventually a loud thud. Then the door opened again revealing a frustrated American.

"C'mon…" he sighed leading her through his living room where his brother was passed out and his father knocked out.

When they reached his room the door was slammed behind them and an now infuriated Alfred was pulling at his hair and mumbling curses.

"Al…?" the violet eyed girl asked cautiously, being ignored by said man.

"Alfred…calm down." She continued pulling him into a tight hug, just holding him there as his breathing slowed and he eventually hugged back, sighing.

"I'm sorry he just…"

"Nyet don't be…I understand." Nataliya smiled up at him earning a smile back from the taller.

"ALFRED F. JONES!" an angry voice called from the living room, stomping footsteps then climbing the stairs.

"Shit….here…hide" he said nervously pushing her into his closet shutting it just as his door was opened.

"Who *hic* the fuck do you think *hic* you are?!" the drunken slurred voice said.

"I don't know why don't you tell me asshole?" Alfred replied without hesitation.

"You ungrateful little *hic* prick!" there was a thud and a crash as the frightened girl looked on in horror as the two men fought, throwing punches and anything they could get their hands on. It eventually ended with Alfred throwing his forever-drunken father out the door, slamming it and locking it.

"GOD FUCKING-!" the angered young man punched his wall and ran his hands furiously through his golden hair as Nataliya slowly made her way from the closet to his side, resting her hand on his shoulder only to have it smacked away. She didn't flinch…she was used to it.

"Al…" she whispered to him sweetly but unemotionally, turning him to face her. He remained silent.

She sighed and pulled his face down to meet hers and placed a soft kiss on his lips. At first he did nothing but then slowly melted into the kiss until it became wild and filled with lust. Nataliya could tell that his anger was coming through in their kiss but it was alright, as long as he was kissing her. She didn't even care if he meant it or not. She just focused on this moment…on him…his rough and warm lips…how their bodies molded together perfectly.

The small girl nearly collapsed when she felt his warm calloused hands making their way up her shirt, brushing across her breast.

"Al…" she whispered, pulling away from the kiss and just simply leaning into his touch. He remained silent still. Brows furrowed and eyes dead.

"Say you need me Nataliya…_tell me you need me_." He said in a low husky tone sending a chill up her spine.

"I-ah-I need you Alfred…" she replied giving into his request, not like she was lying she really did need him….needed him more than anything. He WAS her everything. And she was his.

"Say you love me." Alfred continued taking her chin in his grip making her look into his sea blue eyes where she could see his need…his loneliness…his emptiness…they were mirrors of her own eyes.

"I love you." Nataliya then wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her tiny waist, pulling each other closer until they were once again locked in a passionate, needy kiss.

"I love you to my Nataliya…my snow angel."


End file.
